Procurement of Gas Chromatograph

Description

This is a requirement for the purchase of a Gas Chromatograph. National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) has been contracted to carry out an experiment to determine the radiolysis rate of water adsorbed to the surface of irradiated UO2 powders and other radioactive material. During the experiment, the rate of hydrogen generation and the maximum pressure the gases generate by radiolysis will be monitored. NNL have designed an experimental setup which can provide the required data and have previously contracted the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to develop and demonstrate a measurement system which utilised a gas chromatograph (GC) to identify and measure the volumes and concentrations of the gases expected to be produced during radiolysis process. In the next phase of the project, NNL intend to build a full scale non-active prototype of the system which will be used to demonstrate that the method developed by NPL works on a realistic scale. This system will then be modified such that it can be installed in an active facility for use. In order to complete this NNL need to procure a GC which can initially be used on the non-active prototype and later utilised on the final active rig. While the GC is required for a specific project and the requirements of this project make up the mandatory components, in-terms of the technical requirements, NNL are aware of other future projects and would like to procure a machine which can be upgraded in the future as usage requirements change.